President Barack Obama hits a losing trifecta with Florida voters: They disapprove 52 - 44
percent of the job he is doing; they prefer an unnamed Republican challenger by a too-close-to-
call 41 - 38 percent in the 2012 presidential election and say 51 - 42 percent that the president
does not deserve a second term, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.

Today's numbers compare to results of a February 3 survey by the independent
Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University, when the President was almost dead even in the
trifecta:

47 percent job approval, with 49 percent disapproving;

40 percent for Obama, compared to 42 percent for an unnamed GOP challenger;

45 percent saying four more years compared to 48 percent saying no.

Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, who like Obama is on the 2012 ballot, is in better
shape, with a 47 - 26 percent approval rating, a 43 - 39 percent lead over an unidentified
Republican and voters saying 43 - 35 percent that he deserves another term in the Senate.

Florida voters support 51 - 44 percent a proposal before the Legislature that would
require a woman seeking an abortion to first undergo an ultrasound procedure and be offered a
chance to view the results. Women support the measure 53 - 43 percent, while men support it 48 - 46 percent.

"With President Barack Obama formally announcing his re-election campaign this week,
one can expect that his team will be focusing on Florida, one of the nation's preeminent swing
states and one that the president carried in 2008," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the
Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "He has some work to do in the Sunshine State. On job
approval, re-election and the matchup against an unnamed republican he does a good deal better
among women than he does among men."

"Despite questions about his policies, the president is personally popular with Floridians,"
said Brown. Given four choices to describe their feelings about Obama:

40 percent like him personally and like his policies;

30 percent like him personally but not his policies;

1 percent like his policies but not him;

24 percent don't like him or his policies.

Taken together, 70 percent of voters like Obama, but only 41 percent like his policies.

By comparison, when voters are asked the same questions about Gov. Rick Scott, whose
overall 48 - 35 percent disapproval rating makes him less popular than Obama, only 40 percent
like him personally, while 34 percent like his policies.

Although by 65 - 30 percent, Florida voters back the U.S. Supreme Court decision
establishing a woman's right to have an abortion, their support for requiring an ultrasound reflects
strong Republican support and more modest opposition from Democrats and independents.
Republicans approve of the ultrasound requirement 68 - 28 percent, while opposition is 54 - 41
percent among Democrats and 52 - 43 percent among independent voters.

The public attitudes on building new nuclear plants in the state reflect the "Not In My
Backyard" view. Voters split 48 - 47 percent on support for new nuclear plants in Florida, but
they oppose 58 - 39 percent building nuclear plants in their city or town.

Support for the war in Afghanistan continues to deteriorate, as Florida voters say 59 - 36
percent the United States should not be involved in the war there.

Voters are divided 46 - 46 percent on whether they approve of the president's handling
of the situation in Libya.

Support for Congress repealing the "health care law" that passed last year is 49 - 41
percent, and 54 - 40 percent when the question is phrased "health care reform law."

From March 29 - April 4, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,499 registered voters with a
margin of error of +/- 2.9 percentage points. Live interviewers call land lines and cell phones.

The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public
opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio and the
nation as a public service and for research.

For more data or RSS feed- http://www.quinnipiac.edu/polling.xml, call (203) 582-5201,
or follow us on Twitter.

2. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Marco Rubio is handling his job as
United States Senator?

7. Looking ahead to the 2012 election for President...
If the 2012 election for President were being held today, do you think you would
vote for Barack Obama the Democratic candidate, or the Republican candidate?

TREND: Looking ahead to the 2012 election for President... If the 2012 election
for President were being held today, do you think you would vote for
Barack Obama the Democratic candidate, or the Republican candidate?

TREND: Looking ahead to the 2012 election for President... Do you feel that
Barack Obama deserves to be reelected, or do you feel that he does not deserve
to be reelected?

Apr 7 Feb 3
2011 2011
Yes/Deserves 42 45
No/Does not 51 48
DK/NA 8 8

9. Looking ahead to the 2012 election for United States Senator...
If the 2012 election for United States Senator were being held today, do you
think you would vote for Bill Nelson the Democratic candidate, or the
Republican candidate?

TREND: Looking ahead to the 2012 election for United States Senator...If the
2012 election for United States Senator were being held today, do you think you
would vote for Bill Nelson the Democratic candidate, or the Republican
candidate?

11. Which one of the following statements comes closest to the way you feel
about Barack Obama -
A. I like Barack Obama as a person and I also like most of his policies
B. I like Barack Obama as a person but I don't like most of his policies
C. I don't like Barack Obama as a person but I DO like most of his policies
D. I don't like Barack Obama as a person and I also don't like most of his
policies

12. Which one of the following statements comes closest to the way you feel
about Rick Scott -
A. I like Rick Scott as a person and I also like most of his policies
B. I like Rick Scott as a person but I don't like most of his policies
C. I don't like Rick Scott as a person but I DO like most of his policies
D. I don't like Rick Scott as a person and I also don't like most of his
policies

31. The legislature is considering legislation that would require that a woman
seeking an abortion first undergo an ultrasound procedure and be offered a
chance to view the results. Do you approve or disapprove of this proposal?